Chinese Inverters: European Commission Will Not Postpone the Ban – November 1 Deadline Confirmed

The European Commission plans to halt the installation of inverters deemed high-risk in EU-funded photovoltaic projects by 1 November 2026. As a result, requests for an extension submitted by industry associations and institutional investors have been rejected. Starting from 1 November, photovoltaic projects that are grid-connected or under construction must exclude high-risk suppliers. Alternatively, they need to gradually switch to inverters supplied by vendors classified as non-high-risk.

Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted a measure barring European funding for clean energy projects that rely on inverters provided by high-risk operators. The measure is motivated by cybersecurity concerns. Specifically, there are discussions alleging that manufacturers could remotely access and manipulate inverters, thereby disrupting power grids and triggering blackouts.

Nevertheless, this move has raised concerns among market participants, especially over doubts whether non-Asian inverter manufacturers can guarantee sufficient output and competitive costs. Institutional investors including the European Investment Bank have also voiced worries about the European Commission’s decision. Fearing limited availability and higher costs of alternative products, market stakeholders sought an extension of the deadline.

The European Commission, however, holds that viable alternatives are already available, and the costs incurred to secure Europe’s energy infrastructure remain reasonable.

While the extension request has been officially rejected, both sides still expect the Commission to grant approvals on a case-by-case basis instead of imposing a blanket ban on projects.